I removed audacious from the installation list. This package requires packages which are broken. I cannot change anything on the Debian servers. It now works fine.
The G5 users have to still be a little bit patient. Yesterday I tried an installation on my iMac G5 and it did not succeed. I think I solved the problem now but, just to be sure, I am doing one last installation myself to see if it is fixed indeed. I will keep you updated.
MintPPC64 does not install at the moment. This is not my fault, protobuff package got updated and is not yet visible in the Debian-ports server repo. I am installing MintPPC64 partly manually and I will make a live USB image, like I did for MintPPC32.
I have tried and sadly failed to install on a PowerBook G4 (15″, A1138) using all three options on the CD installer (default, automatic, expert). Everything seems to work fine until the very last step, and I am presented with a black screen (sometimes with a cursor line top left). Guidance would be very much appreciated.
Thanks so much for all your suggestions – I shall attempt them later. In the meantime I have managed to log in as root with a command line (by not installing any desktops) and have tried to follow the ‘Manual installation’ instructions. ‘gpg’ comes back with “command not found” so I don’t know how to proceed further….
Arend, can you try to boot from a USB stick ? I have a live image available on the Instructions page. I would like to first rule out the possibility that some software did not install during your installation.
I have tried USB installations in the past but they have been fraught with difficulty and I have only occasionally succeeded – CD installation is far preferable and more straightforward.
gpg : command not found
apt install gnupg
apt install mint-artwork etc ….unable to locate package: libgtk2-perl : Depends on perlapi-5.28.1 but it is not installable. E: unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages
tasksel (LXDE) (not laptop)
…seems to have installed successfully #reboot
…Debian GRUB… briefly shows debian command line login prompt, black screen (small white cursor top left of screen)
unable to locate package: libgtk2-perl : Depends on perlapi-5.28.1 but it is not installable. E: unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages……
Do not install mintinstall
You have to install those packages from the command line if you have no graphical interface.
sudo apt install firmware-amd-graphics firmware-linux-nonfree
then reboot and try to get into X
Oh my giddy giddy aunt – I have a Debian10 desktop!!! Thank you so so much – I can’t tell you how many weeks it’s taken me to get this far (admittedly I knew zero about Linux before, it’s been a very steep learning curve…)!!!! (My next challenges: Mint desktop, connecting to wifi, and downloading applications….tomorrow’s dawn awaits! [hope you won’t mind me coming back if I get stuck….]). Thanks again!!!
Here’s an update….I have had to follow your instructions and reinstall the whole system a couple of times because, at various points, I managed to lose the desktop and could only boot to the command prompt! I have some current questions, and then have listed my installation notes (which include your essential tips!)..CURRENT QUESTIONS
* why does sound work in lxmusic but not rhythmbox? Can sound be fixed for rhythmbox?
* can anything be done about the ‘unmet dependencies/broken packages’ for applications that cannot be installed? (e.g. “libavcodec58” is often mentioned)
* can you recommend a battery meter?
* why does “sudo” not work (am OK with workaround: # su – )?
INSTALLATION NOTES
connect ethernet cable boot from CD…
* many steps including:
* ‘yes’ to non-free additional software (‘Select and install software’ then takes much longer)
* Software selection: standard system utilities (de-selected: Debian desktop environment, Xfce)
* No: force GRUB installation to the EFI removable media file
log in as user created during installation (‘allow root login, create user’)
$ su – [to log in as root : don’t know why “sudo” does not work]
$ apt install gnupg
$ apt edit-sources
Add the following line (as the first line):deb http://u58733p55594.web0093.zxcs-klant.nl/repo unstable main
Then we update the repo:
# [sudo] apt update [message after modifying the file : “please run apt-get update”]You will see that we will need my public gpg key:gpg –keyserver pgp.surfnet.nl –recv-keys D7A223ABAA7CE436 [? struggles to connect…took quite a while]gpg -a –export D7A223ABAA7CE436 | sudo apt-key add – [OK][sudo] apt update
# [sudo] apt install mint-artwork mint-artwork-lxde \> mint-common mint-lxde-default-settings mint-x-icons \> mint-y-icons mint-themes \ mint-backgrounds-tina mintsystem \> arcticfox spidermail[E: unable to locate package mint-backgrounds-tina ]
# apt install firmware-amd-graphics firmware-linux-nonfree
# reboot
# tasksel: LXDE (not laptop) [this takes quite a while]
# reboot[success!! (Debian10 desktop)][F11 for right click][WiFi]
# su – [log in as root]
# apt-get install firmware-b43-installer[disconnect ethernet]
# reboot[click on network icon in toolbar to select wireless network & enter password]
Synaptic Package Manager
* installed
* abiword (word processor)
* arcticfox (browser)
* calcurse (run from CLI)
* gnome-maps (‘Maps’ next to Leafpad)
* gnumeric [and associated packages] (spreadsheet)
* lyx
* rhythmbox
* no sound output (had sound last time…?)
* lxmusic produces sound, why does rhythmbox not?
* imported podcast series (IoT
* stacer
LX Terminal (CLI)
* install
* xpad (sticky note in toolbar) – would not install with Package Manager
Broken packages error (Synaptic Package Manager)
* audacity (installed last time via CLI); broken packages error in CLI (libavformat58 & libchromaprint1 depend on libavcodec58) – “fix broken packages first”
* cbatticon; “fix broken packages first”
* handbrake (installed last time via CLI); broken packages error in CLI (Depends: libavcodec58, libavfilter7, Recommends: gstreamer1.0-libav but it is not ; installable; ibavformat58 & libchromaprint1 depend on libavcodec58); “fix broken packages first”
* gimp – unmet dependencies, broken packages; “fix broken packages first”
* ibam (battery management); fix broken packages first
* kazam – CLI, unmet dependencies: gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly depends libx264-155 but it is not installable; “fix broken packages first”
* korganizer ; “fix broken packages first”
Greetings. I just tried to use the installer again on my G4 Mac mini and it stopped at…
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable distribution that some required packages have not yet been created or been moved out of Incoming. The following information may help to resolve the situation: The following packages have unmet dependencies: libguvcview-2.0-2 : Depends: libavcodec58 (>= 7:4.2)
I am facing this same problem on a G4 Mac Mini. Xorg crashes, but I can get to runlevel 3 (network, no GUI) via GRUB. It seems to complain about the lack of GPU acceleration due to missing drivers. What should I do next?
I’ve installed proprietary AMD video drivers, and I was able to boot into a graphical environment. However, a lot of things are still broken (web browser, file manager) so I think I’ll still reinstall as per Thomas’ guide. Here is an image of the DE: https://ibb.co/NC0jsMS
The Mint themes were not default, so I selected them manually. Still looks more like vanilla LXDE compared to the screenshots provided on this website.
I have MintPPC installed on my G4 Mac mini. The MintPPC32 installer is broken when it tries to install the package audacious which depends on the broken package, libavcodec58.
Instead, I installed the packages manually over an updated Debian 10 LXDE installation, except for mintinstall which is also broken. I had to install the non-free ATI firmware with ‘sudo apt install firmware-linux-nonfree’ first. Jeroen can point you to the page where the instructions for manual installation are available.
I’ve followed the manual installation, but I’m stuck on getting a GUI to pop up. Shouldn’t I have to edit ~/.xinitrc? Both xinit and startx failed to run, giving me the error: Server terminated with error (1). How did you get it to work?
Thanks,
Strategia
I’m seeing that you installed the lxde desktop environment. I just installed lxde. That way I could install arcticfox as my browser. It works great, much better than firefox.
If you installed lxde first (not the full desktop) you should be able to log into a GUI. Then install all the mintppc packages (except mintinstall which is broken.) Read the end of the manual instructions again. You will need to add another username (add it to sudo) and then select MintPPC in the top bar when you log in. That should take you to the MintPPC desktop. Then, you can delete the old username.
I just tried to install MintPPC32 over a Debian 10 LXDE installation. When it came to installing your keyserver with… sudo gpg –keyserver pgp.surfnet.nl –recv-keys D7A223ABAA7CE436 …it reported that it was not available. What am I doing wrong?
Can anything be done about the ‘unmet dependencies/broken packages’ for applications that cannot be installed? (e.g. “libavcodec58” is often mentioned)
Greetings. I am trying to install MintPPC32 manually. Everything is OK until I try to install mintinstall whereupon I get a message that libgtk2-perl depends on perlapi-5.28.1 but it is not installable. Is this what is breaking the automated installer? Is there a workaround?
I followed your advice and didn’t install mintinstall. Everything installed without a hitch. When I went to reboot, though, after selecting Mint-LXDE I was presented with a black screen and no background images to select from. How can I access the images that were installed with mint-backgrounds-tina?
I reread your instructions for manually installing MintPPC. You said to create a new user account and delete the old one. I did that and everything is fine. Sorry about the dumb question.
Greetings, Jeroen, just wanted to let you know that I finally got the installer to work, sort of. As usual, it hung at the point where it tried to install libguvcview-2.0-2 which depends on libavcodec58, but I dropped back to the main menu, installed GRUB, and finished the installation. On reboot, I switched to recovery mode, logged in as root, and installed the ATI firmware for my Radeon card. When I rebooted, I could go directly to the Mint GUI, logged in with my username, did a ‘sudo apt update’, and installed arcticfox which seemed to be the only major app that hadn’t been initially installed. Everything now works fine.
Greetings, Jeroen. I tried reinstalling MintPPC32 on my Mac mini today using the manual installation method. Found that both mint-common and mintsystem are now broken, as the depend on an older version of python than what is currently available in Debian 10. Any thoughts?
I haven’t been able to get my G4 Mac mini to boot from a live-USB let alone install MintPPC32 with it. It has been running just fine for weeks on my G4 Power Mac, though. When I do apt upgrade, it holds back the packages: lobpython2-stdlib, python2, and python2-minimal. Those must be the updates that prevent the installation of MintPPC related apps.
I updated all those packages. Make sure you also install debian-system-adjustments. The latter will make sure that shutting down goes a whole lot quicker (there are more things under the hood).
Update 22:04 I just found out that I also need to rebuild mintinput against new python. I will do this another day. Probably you did not install mintinput as it is not mentioned in the preseed file.
Greetings, Jeroen. I have just successfully installed MintPPC on my G4 Mac mini using the manual installation method. Initially, I tried to install it using the automated installer, but ran into the same problem that you alluded to: mintinput is broken. The only other thing I ran into was when installing all the packages, I had already installed the ATI firmware so those packages that you listed wouldn’t install. Otherwise, everything went well. Thanks for getting MintPPC up and running again.
This was where the automated installer stopped installing…
Aug 10 11:21:11 in-target: The following packages have unmet dependencies:
Aug 10 11:21:12 in-target: mintinput : Depends: python but it is not installable
Aug 10 11:21:12 in-target: Recommends: mint-fluxbox-default-settings but it is not installable
Like I said, I’d already installed the ATI firmware when installing LXDE. The version that you listed was an older version of it.
Ok, on the box where mintinput is the problem. Remove mintinput as it is no longer working, as it depends on some stuff that no longer ships with Debian. I am not a programmer so I cannot completely rewrite the code:
sudo dpkg -r mintinput
Then dist-upgrade as python2 and gcc10 will not be upgraded by a normal sudo apt upgrade is my experience:
sudo apt dist-upgrade
If you have time I would like you to ask to install MintPPC one more time using the automatic procedure. I would like to know if mintinput (which I updated) does no longer create problems. It will install mintinput then but it will be non-functional. I have to find out why the installation installs mintinput. You can then if it is installed remove with the mentioned command (not compulsory though).
I tried installing MintPPC on a G4 Mac mini using the automatic procedure. This time the installation process failed at…
Aug 10 22:50:18 in-target: The following packages have unmet dependencies:
Aug 10 22:50:19 in-target: libguvcview-2.0-2 : Depends: libavcodec58 (>= 7:4.2)
Ok, did some research. I think it relates to package guvcview, which I added to the preseed list. Ultimately, this package requires a package called libavcoded58 as you pointed out, which is built from ffmpeg source, which is uninstallable right now: https://buildd.debian.org/status/package.php?p=ffmpeg&suite=sid
This is not I can do something about. If this takes too long to correct I can take out guvcview from the list.
I went back and manually installed the package list on a freshly updated Debian 10 lxde installation, and yes indeed, guvcview was the only package that didn’t install for the reason you gave. Everything else is fine.
Yes, I did install debian-system-adjustments. That really helps the reboot process. Thanks for all your work on MintPPC.
Did you install debian-system-adjustments? Do you see the nice LMDE grub menu and do you experience a faster shutdown? I have it running on my iBook G4 now. All is well now, I will soon make a new live USB MintPPC32 image from this computer.
Yesterday, when I went to install MintPPC32 over a fully updated Debian 10 installation, lxde started acting weird, the bottom panel flickered and then disappeared. Has this happened with lxde in the past?
I spent much of the weekend reinstalling Debian 10 lxde on various computers, finally chasing the problem down to the lxpanel not automatically showing up in Openbox the way it should. After reinstalling Openbox and choosing the correct theme, Onyx, and installing lxde over that, everything went well.
Today, the problem seems to have solved itself and lxde installs correctly. Someone at http://ftp.ports.debian.org must have been paying attention.
Greetings, Jeroen. I just did a manual install of MintPPC32 on my Mac mini and… wait for it… guvcview installed just fine! Now it’s only firmware-b43-installer and firmware-b43legacy-installer that don’t install. They depend on a version of b43-fwcutter isn’t available. Progress… right?
Hi Thomas, when I have time I will build that b43-fwcutter package myself. It used to be available in Debian-ports but not anymore. I will let you know when the package is in my repo.
I just checked and indeed, Debian is at 019-6 wheareas I have 019-4 only in the MintPPC repo. I will update all three packages to 019-6 and make them available. People installing plain Debian on powerpc will not be able to use their airport cards anymore as the b43-fwcutter package is no longer available. It is pretty shameful really…
I will from now on keep an eye on the development of this package. Whenever a new version gets uploaded to unstable, I will build the corresponding b43-fwcutter and add it to the repos of both MintPPC32 and MintPPC64.
Thomas, if you install a new version of MintPPC the automatic way, can you check which version of firmware-amd-graphics gets intalled? I might just rely on Debian for these kind of packages in the future, I have a version in my repo but whenever the installer installs a newer version, it becomes more or less obsolete.
I tried installing MintPPC32 using the automatic method. Everything went well until it came time to install grub. It wouldn’t install. had to go back to the default install to get grub working right. Any thoughts?
Yes, I did. Afterward I used default installation and grub was installed just fine.
Oh, did I read that you have a 12 inch G4 Powerbook that you have MintPPC installed on? I just picked one up for peanuts and once I get it working will try to do the same.
Aug 28 12:56:43 grub-installer: info: Installing grub on ‘dummy’
Aug 28 12:56:43 grub-installer: info: grub-install does not support –no-floppy
Aug 28 12:56:43 grub-installer: info: Running chroot /target grub-install –force –macppc-directory=/boot/grub
Aug 28 12:56:44 grub-installer: Installing for powerpc-ieee1275 platform.
Aug 28 12:56:57 grub-installer: Installation finished. No error reported.
Aug 28 12:56:57 grub-installer: info: grub-install ran successfully Aug 28 12:57:14 grub-installer: error: Running ‘update-grub’ failed.
This doesn’t happen when I use the default installation method.
I don’t know what is wrong with grub. Thomas, you are the only one reporting back on how the installations work out. You might want to try a newer debian installer, not the one of April 2020 that I linked to.
I just finished the work on building the packages from b43-fwcutter. They have been uploaded to the MintPPC repo. Please have a look if you find a way to install MintPPC the automatic way. You might want to try a newer debian installer as mentioned before. Thank you so much for your support!
Tried to install MintPPC the automatic way. Ran into the following…
Aug 30 23:11:46 in-target: /var/lib/dpkg/info/firmware-b43legacy-installer.postinst: Downloaded firmware did not match known SHA512 checksum, aborting.
Aug 30 23:11:46 in-target: dpkg: error processing package firmware-b43legacy-installer (–configure):
Aug 30 23:11:46 in-target: installed firmware-b43legacy-installer package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Aug 30 23:11:46 in-target: Errors were encountered while processing:
Aug 30 23:11:46 in-target: firmware-b43-installer
Aug 30 23:11:46 in-target: firmware-b43legacy-installer
Aug 30 23:11:51 kernel: [ 4429.338088] ISO 9660 Extensions: Microsoft Joliet Level 3
Aug 30 23:11:51 kernel: [ 4429.345400] ISO 9660 Extensions: RRIP_1991A
Aug 30 23:11:57 main-menu[216]: (process:32600): dpkg-divert: warning: diverting file ‘/sbin/start-stop-daemon’ from an Essential package with rename is dangerous, use –no-rename
Looks like some more work on the Airport firmware needs to be done.
Just to let you know, I went back and did a “default” installation of MintPPC on my new (old) G4 Powerbook and manually installed everything including the Airport firmware. Everything went well, including connecting to my WiFi. Must be something in the automatic installation process that is the hangup.
Were you able to solve the server problem….. Glad to hear good news
I removed audacious from the installation list. This package requires packages which are broken. I cannot change anything on the Debian servers. It now works fine.
The G5 users have to still be a little bit patient. Yesterday I tried an installation on my iMac G5 and it did not succeed. I think I solved the problem now but, just to be sure, I am doing one last installation myself to see if it is fixed indeed. I will keep you updated.
I’m not a software engineer, but do have a G5 computer available for test installs. Please e-mail me if I can help out.
MintPPC64 does not install at the moment. This is not my fault, protobuff package got updated and is not yet visible in the Debian-ports server repo. I am installing MintPPC64 partly manually and I will make a live USB image, like I did for MintPPC32.
I have tried and sadly failed to install on a PowerBook G4 (15″, A1138) using all three options on the CD installer (default, automatic, expert). Everything seems to work fine until the very last step, and I am presented with a black screen (sometimes with a cursor line top left). Guidance would be very much appreciated.
This seems like a graphics problem. What kind of card is in there? I thought a Radeon one, which should work to my opinion.
What happens if you boot with kernel command
nomodeset
I know that with older versions of Linux, you might have no problems with this card.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/suggestions-for-linux-on-which-ppc.2225889/post-28267947
You might want to try wicknix’s Lubuntu remix.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/lubuntu-16-04-remix-updated.2204742/
You can even turn Lubuntu into Mintbuntu:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/debian-sid-installation-guide-powerpc.2146795/post-27781871
You might want to try to pass the kernel parameter
radeon.agpmode=-1
https://wiki.debian.org/PowerPC/FAQ#How_do_I_get_graphics_working.3F
Thanks so much for all your suggestions – I shall attempt them later. In the meantime I have managed to log in as root with a command line (by not installing any desktops) and have tried to follow the ‘Manual installation’ instructions. ‘gpg’ comes back with “command not found” so I don’t know how to proceed further….
Arend, can you try to boot from a USB stick ? I have a live image available on the Instructions page. I would like to first rule out the possibility that some software did not install during your installation.
On another note, someone in the MacRumors forums is going to try an installation on the exact same machine as you have. He will have it coming Monday:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-powerpc-linux-wiki.2178457/post-28660070
I have tried USB installations in the past but they have been fraught with difficulty and I have only occasionally succeeded – CD installation is far preferable and more straightforward.
answer to your question:
sudo apt install gnupg
You also need to install a LXDE desktop if you go for manual:
sudo tasksel
and click the LXDE desktop
gpg : command not found
apt install gnupg
apt install mint-artwork etc ….unable to locate package: libgtk2-perl : Depends on perlapi-5.28.1 but it is not installable. E: unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages
tasksel (LXDE) (not laptop)
…seems to have installed successfully #reboot
…Debian GRUB… briefly shows debian command line login prompt, black screen (small white cursor top left of screen)
did you install firmware-linux-nonfree and firmware-amd-graphics ? They are absolutely needed for your GPU to work.
Should I install these from the command line with “apt install…” or is there an option somewhere to select?
unable to locate package: libgtk2-perl : Depends on perlapi-5.28.1 but it is not installable. E: unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages……
Do not install mintinstall
You have to install those packages from the command line if you have no graphical interface.
sudo apt install firmware-amd-graphics firmware-linux-nonfree
then reboot and try to get into X
I never asked you to install from USB. Just boot from the stick and see if you end up in a graphical desktop.
Oh my giddy giddy aunt – I have a Debian10 desktop!!! Thank you so so much – I can’t tell you how many weeks it’s taken me to get this far (admittedly I knew zero about Linux before, it’s been a very steep learning curve…)!!!! (My next challenges: Mint desktop, connecting to wifi, and downloading applications….tomorrow’s dawn awaits! [hope you won’t mind me coming back if I get stuck….]). Thanks again!!!
Great news! Do you boot with a kernel parameter or not ?
Sorry, I’m afraid I don’t understand your question! Could you explain?
Do you need to put
radeon.agpmode=-1
in Grub, or do you boot without anything special ?
I haven’t typed anything special.
Here’s an update….I have had to follow your instructions and reinstall the whole system a couple of times because, at various points, I managed to lose the desktop and could only boot to the command prompt! I have some current questions, and then have listed my installation notes (which include your essential tips!)..CURRENT QUESTIONS
* why does sound work in lxmusic but not rhythmbox? Can sound be fixed for rhythmbox?
* can anything be done about the ‘unmet dependencies/broken packages’ for applications that cannot be installed? (e.g. “libavcodec58” is often mentioned)
* can you recommend a battery meter?
* why does “sudo” not work (am OK with workaround: # su – )?
INSTALLATION NOTES
connect ethernet cable boot from CD…
* many steps including:
* ‘yes’ to non-free additional software (‘Select and install software’ then takes much longer)
* Software selection: standard system utilities (de-selected: Debian desktop environment, Xfce)
* No: force GRUB installation to the EFI removable media file
log in as user created during installation (‘allow root login, create user’)
$ su – [to log in as root : don’t know why “sudo” does not work]
$ apt install gnupg
$ apt edit-sources
Add the following line (as the first line):deb http://u58733p55594.web0093.zxcs-klant.nl/repo unstable main
Then we update the repo:
# [sudo] apt update [message after modifying the file : “please run apt-get update”]You will see that we will need my public gpg key:gpg –keyserver pgp.surfnet.nl –recv-keys D7A223ABAA7CE436 [? struggles to connect…took quite a while]gpg -a –export D7A223ABAA7CE436 | sudo apt-key add – [OK][sudo] apt update
# [sudo] apt install mint-artwork mint-artwork-lxde \> mint-common mint-lxde-default-settings mint-x-icons \> mint-y-icons mint-themes \ mint-backgrounds-tina mintsystem \> arcticfox spidermail[E: unable to locate package mint-backgrounds-tina ]
# apt install firmware-amd-graphics firmware-linux-nonfree
# reboot
# tasksel: LXDE (not laptop) [this takes quite a while]
# reboot[success!! (Debian10 desktop)][F11 for right click][WiFi]
# su – [log in as root]
# apt-get install firmware-b43-installer[disconnect ethernet]
# reboot[click on network icon in toolbar to select wireless network & enter password]
Synaptic Package Manager
* installed
* abiword (word processor)
* arcticfox (browser)
* calcurse (run from CLI)
* gnome-maps (‘Maps’ next to Leafpad)
* gnumeric [and associated packages] (spreadsheet)
* lyx
* rhythmbox
* no sound output (had sound last time…?)
* lxmusic produces sound, why does rhythmbox not?
* imported podcast series (IoT
* stacer
LX Terminal (CLI)
* install
* xpad (sticky note in toolbar) – would not install with Package Manager
Broken packages error (Synaptic Package Manager)
* audacity (installed last time via CLI); broken packages error in CLI (libavformat58 & libchromaprint1 depend on libavcodec58) – “fix broken packages first”
* cbatticon; “fix broken packages first”
* handbrake (installed last time via CLI); broken packages error in CLI (Depends: libavcodec58, libavfilter7, Recommends: gstreamer1.0-libav but it is not ; installable; ibavformat58 & libchromaprint1 depend on libavcodec58); “fix broken packages first”
* gimp – unmet dependencies, broken packages; “fix broken packages first”
* ibam (battery management); fix broken packages first
* kazam – CLI, unmet dependencies: gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly depends libx264-155 but it is not installable; “fix broken packages first”
* korganizer ; “fix broken packages first”
N.B. https://packages.debian.org/buster/libavcodec58 does not include ppc as an available platform (ppc64 is there)
Preferences; Customise look and feel: Adwaita-dark….{customised colour scheme]
Number of Desktops (4): Settings, Openbox Configuration Manager (Ctrl Alt Arrow to switch between)
Ethernet Network: device not managed (worked last time)
* how to connect? (ethernet was live for the installation….)
* https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-reference/ch05.en.html#_gui_network_configuration_tools
* https://www.blackmoreops.com/2013/11/25/how-to-fix-wired-network-interface-device-not-managed-error/
* https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-install-missing-ifconfig-command-on-debian-linux
* In essence: # systemctl enable NetworkManager
Right click not working as two finger click
* The right hand 20% of the touchpad is not sensitive: is that the right click area?
* Settings – Keyboard and Mouse – Sensitivity: low
* https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-laptop-and-netbook-25/enable-right-click-on-powerbook-g4-trackpad-649010/
* mouseemu is already installed – F11 for right-click
* F11
Please report these questions separately in the forum, not in the comments. I will try to answer them there. It will be a mess here.
Installer fails at xfce4-goodies…
Kahli: try again. I got it working yesterday even on a Pismo G3 🙂
Greetings. I just tried to use the installer again on my G4 Mac mini and it stopped at…
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable distribution that some required packages have not yet been created or been moved out of Incoming. The following information may help to resolve the situation: The following packages have unmet dependencies: libguvcview-2.0-2 : Depends: libavcodec58 (>= 7:4.2)
Any thoughts?
I would wait a few days or use the USB live image.
I am facing this same problem on a G4 Mac Mini. Xorg crashes, but I can get to runlevel 3 (network, no GUI) via GRUB. It seems to complain about the lack of GPU acceleration due to missing drivers. What should I do next?
Did you install all MintPPC packages or are you in plain Debian?
I used the Debian 10 ISO image provided here and connected to http://u58733p55594.web0093.zxcs-klant.nl/d-i/mintppc32/preseed.cfg. The installation of Mint packages was at 90% when it failed, so I assume it had already configured and installed most of them.
I’ve installed proprietary AMD video drivers, and I was able to boot into a graphical environment. However, a lot of things are still broken (web browser, file manager) so I think I’ll still reinstall as per Thomas’ guide. Here is an image of the DE: https://ibb.co/NC0jsMS
The Mint themes were not default, so I selected them manually. Still looks more like vanilla LXDE compared to the screenshots provided on this website.
I have MintPPC installed on my G4 Mac mini. The MintPPC32 installer is broken when it tries to install the package audacious which depends on the broken package, libavcodec58.
Instead, I installed the packages manually over an updated Debian 10 LXDE installation, except for mintinstall which is also broken. I had to install the non-free ATI firmware with ‘sudo apt install firmware-linux-nonfree’ first. Jeroen can point you to the page where the instructions for manual installation are available.
Here is the link to that page…
https://www.u58733p55594.web0093.zxcs-klant.nl/installation/manual-installation-mintppc/
I’ve followed the manual installation, but I’m stuck on getting a GUI to pop up. Shouldn’t I have to edit ~/.xinitrc? Both xinit and startx failed to run, giving me the error: Server terminated with error (1). How did you get it to work?
Thanks,
Strategia
I’m seeing that you installed the lxde desktop environment. I just installed lxde. That way I could install arcticfox as my browser. It works great, much better than firefox.
If you installed lxde first (not the full desktop) you should be able to log into a GUI. Then install all the mintppc packages (except mintinstall which is broken.) Read the end of the manual instructions again. You will need to add another username (add it to sudo) and then select MintPPC in the top bar when you log in. That should take you to the MintPPC desktop. Then, you can delete the old username.
I just tried to install MintPPC32 over a Debian 10 LXDE installation. When it came to installing your keyserver with… sudo gpg –keyserver pgp.surfnet.nl –recv-keys D7A223ABAA7CE436 …it reported that it was not available. What am I doing wrong?
Probably typing error, I just tried it and it imported my key.
mintppc@debian:~$ gpg –keyserver pgp.surfnet.nl –recv-keys D7A223ABAA7CE436
gpg: /home/mintppc/.gnupg/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
gpg: key D7A223ABAA7CE436: public key “Jeroen Diederen (MintPPC) ” imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg: imported: 1
Why does sound work in lxmusic but not rhythmbox? Can sound be fixed for rhythmbox?
Can anything be done about the ‘unmet dependencies/broken packages’ for applications that cannot be installed? (e.g. “libavcodec58” is often mentioned)
Can you recommend a battery meter?
Why does “sudo” not work (am OK with workaround: # su – )?
post it here please
Search in the forums as you may find answers to your questions there.
Greetings. I am trying to install MintPPC32 manually. Everything is OK until I try to install mintinstall whereupon I get a message that libgtk2-perl depends on perlapi-5.28.1 but it is not installable. Is this what is breaking the automated installer? Is there a workaround?
You should not install mintinstall: it cannot be installed as libgtk2-perl is unavailable. You don’t need mintinstall (Software Manager).
I followed your advice and didn’t install mintinstall. Everything installed without a hitch. When I went to reboot, though, after selecting Mint-LXDE I was presented with a black screen and no background images to select from. How can I access the images that were installed with mint-backgrounds-tina?
I reread your instructions for manually installing MintPPC. You said to create a new user account and delete the old one. I did that and everything is fine. Sorry about the dumb question.
Greetings, Jeroen, just wanted to let you know that I finally got the installer to work, sort of. As usual, it hung at the point where it tried to install libguvcview-2.0-2 which depends on libavcodec58, but I dropped back to the main menu, installed GRUB, and finished the installation. On reboot, I switched to recovery mode, logged in as root, and installed the ATI firmware for my Radeon card. When I rebooted, I could go directly to the Mint GUI, logged in with my username, did a ‘sudo apt update’, and installed arcticfox which seemed to be the only major app that hadn’t been initially installed. Everything now works fine.
Well done Thomas, it sometimes works this way, if most packages have been installed.
Greetings, Jeroen. I tried reinstalling MintPPC32 on my Mac mini today using the manual installation method. Found that both mint-common and mintsystem are now broken, as the depend on an older version of python than what is currently available in Debian 10. Any thoughts?
I will have to rebuild those two packages then. Thanks for letting me know! Can you try installing MintPPC32 from the live-USB ?
I haven’t been able to get my G4 Mac mini to boot from a live-USB let alone install MintPPC32 with it. It has been running just fine for weeks on my G4 Power Mac, though. When I do apt upgrade, it holds back the packages: lobpython2-stdlib, python2, and python2-minimal. Those must be the updates that prevent the installation of MintPPC related apps.
You are very likely right. If I find time I will build the packages again. For the moment I am busy with my family, the weather is too good.
What? You have a life beyond MintPPC? Inconceivable! (sarcasm)
🙂
I am building new versions of:
debian-system-adjustments
blueberry
mint-common
mintsystem
I updated all those packages. Make sure you also install debian-system-adjustments. The latter will make sure that shutting down goes a whole lot quicker (there are more things under the hood).
Update 22:04 I just found out that I also need to rebuild mintinput against new python. I will do this another day. Probably you did not install mintinput as it is not mentioned in the preseed file.
Greetings, Jeroen. I have just successfully installed MintPPC on my G4 Mac mini using the manual installation method. Initially, I tried to install it using the automated installer, but ran into the same problem that you alluded to: mintinput is broken. The only other thing I ran into was when installing all the packages, I had already installed the ATI firmware so those packages that you listed wouldn’t install. Otherwise, everything went well. Thanks for getting MintPPC up and running again.
Can you copy paste what you tried to do, together with the error messages please?
This was where the automated installer stopped installing…
Aug 10 11:21:11 in-target: The following packages have unmet dependencies:
Aug 10 11:21:12 in-target: mintinput : Depends: python but it is not installable
Aug 10 11:21:12 in-target: Recommends: mint-fluxbox-default-settings but it is not installable
Like I said, I’d already installed the ATI firmware when installing LXDE. The version that you listed was an older version of it.
Ok, on the box where mintinput is the problem. Remove mintinput as it is no longer working, as it depends on some stuff that no longer ships with Debian. I am not a programmer so I cannot completely rewrite the code:
sudo dpkg -r mintinput
Then dist-upgrade as python2 and gcc10 will not be upgraded by a normal sudo apt upgrade is my experience:
sudo apt dist-upgrade
If you have time I would like you to ask to install MintPPC one more time using the automatic procedure. I would like to know if mintinput (which I updated) does no longer create problems. It will install mintinput then but it will be non-functional. I have to find out why the installation installs mintinput. You can then if it is installed remove with the mentioned command (not compulsory though).
I tried installing MintPPC on a G4 Mac mini using the automatic procedure. This time the installation process failed at…
Aug 10 22:50:18 in-target: The following packages have unmet dependencies:
Aug 10 22:50:19 in-target: libguvcview-2.0-2 : Depends: libavcodec58 (>= 7:4.2)
Ok, did some research. I think it relates to package guvcview, which I added to the preseed list. Ultimately, this package requires a package called libavcoded58 as you pointed out, which is built from ffmpeg source, which is uninstallable right now:
https://buildd.debian.org/status/package.php?p=ffmpeg&suite=sid
This is not I can do something about. If this takes too long to correct I can take out guvcview from the list.
I went back and manually installed the package list on a freshly updated Debian 10 lxde installation, and yes indeed, guvcview was the only package that didn’t install for the reason you gave. Everything else is fine.
Yes, I did install debian-system-adjustments. That really helps the reboot process. Thanks for all your work on MintPPC.
Thank you Thomas for testing out MintPPC each and every time, not many people are willing to do this!
Did you install debian-system-adjustments? Do you see the nice LMDE grub menu and do you experience a faster shutdown? I have it running on my iBook G4 now. All is well now, I will soon make a new live USB MintPPC32 image from this computer.
Yesterday, when I went to install MintPPC32 over a fully updated Debian 10 installation, lxde started acting weird, the bottom panel flickered and then disappeared. Has this happened with lxde in the past?
I don’t know what it could be.
I spent much of the weekend reinstalling Debian 10 lxde on various computers, finally chasing the problem down to the lxpanel not automatically showing up in Openbox the way it should. After reinstalling Openbox and choosing the correct theme, Onyx, and installing lxde over that, everything went well.
Today, the problem seems to have solved itself and lxde installs correctly. Someone at http://ftp.ports.debian.org must have been paying attention.
On another note, I saw a patch coming by for the failing ffmpeg in Debian-powerpc email list.
Greetings, Jeroen. I just did a manual install of MintPPC32 on my Mac mini and… wait for it… guvcview installed just fine! Now it’s only firmware-b43-installer and firmware-b43legacy-installer that don’t install. They depend on a version of b43-fwcutter isn’t available. Progress… right?
Hi Thomas, when I have time I will build that b43-fwcutter package myself. It used to be available in Debian-ports but not anymore. I will let you know when the package is in my repo.
I just checked and indeed, Debian is at 019-6 wheareas I have 019-4 only in the MintPPC repo. I will update all three packages to 019-6 and make them available. People installing plain Debian on powerpc will not be able to use their airport cards anymore as the b43-fwcutter package is no longer available. It is pretty shameful really…
I will from now on keep an eye on the development of this package. Whenever a new version gets uploaded to unstable, I will build the corresponding b43-fwcutter and add it to the repos of both MintPPC32 and MintPPC64.
Thomas, if you install a new version of MintPPC the automatic way, can you check which version of firmware-amd-graphics gets intalled? I might just rely on Debian for these kind of packages in the future, I have a version in my repo but whenever the installer installs a newer version, it becomes more or less obsolete.
I tried installing MintPPC32 using the automatic method. Everything went well until it came time to install grub. It wouldn’t install. had to go back to the default install to get grub working right. Any thoughts?
You used the installer image I linked to in the installation instructions?
Yes, I did. Afterward I used default installation and grub was installed just fine.
Oh, did I read that you have a 12 inch G4 Powerbook that you have MintPPC installed on? I just picked one up for peanuts and once I get it working will try to do the same.
Back to the problems with grub installation…
Aug 28 12:56:43 grub-installer: info: Installing grub on ‘dummy’
Aug 28 12:56:43 grub-installer: info: grub-install does not support –no-floppy
Aug 28 12:56:43 grub-installer: info: Running chroot /target grub-install –force –macppc-directory=/boot/grub
Aug 28 12:56:44 grub-installer: Installing for powerpc-ieee1275 platform.
Aug 28 12:56:57 grub-installer: Installation finished. No error reported.
Aug 28 12:56:57 grub-installer: info: grub-install ran successfully Aug 28 12:57:14 grub-installer: error: Running ‘update-grub’ failed.
This doesn’t happen when I use the default installation method.
I don’t know what is wrong with grub. Thomas, you are the only one reporting back on how the installations work out. You might want to try a newer debian installer, not the one of April 2020 that I linked to.
I just finished the work on building the packages from b43-fwcutter. They have been uploaded to the MintPPC repo. Please have a look if you find a way to install MintPPC the automatic way. You might want to try a newer debian installer as mentioned before. Thank you so much for your support!
Tried to install MintPPC the automatic way. Ran into the following…
Aug 30 23:11:46 in-target: /var/lib/dpkg/info/firmware-b43legacy-installer.postinst: Downloaded firmware did not match known SHA512 checksum, aborting.
Aug 30 23:11:46 in-target: dpkg: error processing package firmware-b43legacy-installer (–configure):
Aug 30 23:11:46 in-target: installed firmware-b43legacy-installer package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Aug 30 23:11:46 in-target: Errors were encountered while processing:
Aug 30 23:11:46 in-target: firmware-b43-installer
Aug 30 23:11:46 in-target: firmware-b43legacy-installer
Aug 30 23:11:51 kernel: [ 4429.338088] ISO 9660 Extensions: Microsoft Joliet Level 3
Aug 30 23:11:51 kernel: [ 4429.345400] ISO 9660 Extensions: RRIP_1991A
Aug 30 23:11:57 main-menu[216]: (process:32600): dpkg-divert: warning: diverting file ‘/sbin/start-stop-daemon’ from an Essential package with rename is dangerous, use –no-rename
Looks like some more work on the Airport firmware needs to be done.
Just to let you know, I went back and did a “default” installation of MintPPC on my new (old) G4 Powerbook and manually installed everything including the Airport firmware. Everything went well, including connecting to my WiFi. Must be something in the automatic installation process that is the hangup.
Yes, I developed MintPPC on it.
Thanks for letting me know Thomas. Enjoy your MintPPC powered PowerBook 😉